


follow me to sea

by siojo



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Cursed Thatch, Minor Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Portgas D. Ace, Roommates Izou and Ace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-29 16:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11444529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siojo/pseuds/siojo
Summary: Thatch should have learned how to wait years ago, should have learned to be patient, but he hadn't and now he's got four furry paws and no way to contact his family. At least Izo and his roommate aren't opposed to picking up strays.





	follow me to sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MyLadyDay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyLadyDay/gifts).



> in which i finally write a fic for thatch/izo and it's all Dee's fault

“Well, aren’t you a handsome boy.”

 

Thatch glances up, and up and up, at the man that is crouching down before the cardboard box that he had hidden himself inside when it had started to rain. He leans forward, umbrella balanced against his shoulder as he slowly holds out his hand, palm up, for Thatch to sniff. Thatch sneezes, shaking his head to try to clear the scent of paint from his nostrils.

 

“Sorry about that, handsome,” The man says carefully patting Thatch’s head. “I’ve been at my studio all day painting and I guess I didn’t wash my hands off well enough, I’m never going to get it out of my hair. Now,” He brushes the fur on Thatch’s neck, raising an eyebrow. “No collar, handsome?”

 

Thatch barks and the man laughs, rocking dangerously back on his heels.

 

“I see. Well, if you’d like you can come home with me tonight,” The man offers. “My roommate likes dogs and he might know more about how to care for you until we can get you to a vet and see if you’re microchipped. What do you say?”

 

Thatch stands, still shaky on all four legs, making his way out of the box and pressing against the man’s leg.

 

“Come here,” Thatch yelps when hands lift him off the ground and cradle him to the man’s chest. “I’m sorry handsome, but there’s a couple of big roads up ahead and I would hate for you to get hurt.”

 

Thatch pouts but presses closer to the man, shivering as the warmth slowly starts to fight back against the cold that’s been affecting him for the last few hours, between the fall weather and the rain. The man talks as they walk, about his painting and his roommate and anything that seems to come to mind. Thatch can’t help but think that the talking isn’t just for him, not when the man shivers like someone is touching him even when there’s no one around.

 

He doesn’t stop until they reach a rundown apartment building, hurrying down the maze of halls on the ground floor to a door with a peeling number 7 on it.

 

“You’re late,” The voice sounds familiar as Ace steps out the kitchen. “Is that a puppy?”

 

“It is, isn’t he cute?”

 

Ace, Marco’s boyfriend, laughs moving closer and holding out his hand to Thatch like he expects Thatch to lick it. Thatch refuses, he doesn’t know where that hand has been, he drops his head into it instead, blinking up at Ace like he’s seen puppies do many times over the years.

 

“What a cutie,” Ace grins, his other hand coming up to stroke along his ears. “Where’d you find him?”

 

“On the way home. This handsome boy was all alone in an alleyway and I couldn’t just leave him there. It’s raining, Ace, and he was soaked. How could I say no to this face?”

 

Ace nods, “He’s a cute puppy, I think he might be a golden retriever,” Thatch leans into the touch, the hand warm and felt nice. “What a handsome pup. Izo, what are we going to feed him?”

 

Izo, Thatch is glad to have a name for him now, frowns, “What do dogs eat?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“I thought you had a dog before,” Izo says in confusion.

 

“Izo, my grandfather never let my brothers and I have pets. Except for the rabbits and they ended up being dinner. We’re going to have to google it.”

 

“Your grandfather made you eat your pets?” Izo demands even as Ace ignores him, tapping away at his phone to figure out what they could feed him. “Sorry handsome, looks like that food might take longer than I thought it would. Should we call Marco?”

 

“Can’t,” Ace sighs. “Thatch has gone missing.”

 

“Thatch as in Marco’s brother?”

 

“Mhm, they think he went ahead with something they asked him to wait on. They tried to track his phone but it’s been turned off and they’re not sure where he is,” Ace bites his lip. “I’m worried but Marco can always find his brother.”

 

It wouldn’t matter even if they did find Thatch’s phone, he had left it in his car, down the road from the witch that they had spent the better part of two weeks looking for because she was the only connection to seventeen missing persons cases. The last one had been able to message her family before vanishing that the witch kept insisting that she could help her find her one true love.

 

He was suppose to have waited for Marco and the backup from the council to make sure that the witch didn’t cause any issues coming in and to ensure that there wasn’t any interference from the police. If Thatch had waited like he was suppose to instead of getting out to convince someone to avoid her appointment, he would still be waiting instead of having been turned into a puppy.

 

“So,” Ace says finally looking up from his phone. “It looks like we can feed him sandwich meat. At least it won’t kill him until one of us can get to the grocery store to pick up dog food. Which you get to pay for.”

 

“I figured as much,” Izo sighs already reaching for his coat. “You’re lucky that you’re handsome.”

 

“You say that like you aren’t about to walk into the store with a puppy hiding in your coat so you can pick the best food,” Ace says grabbing his own coat. “Come on then, I’ll even come with you. I want to see how this goes and try to keep us from getting banned from the closest grocery store.”

 

“You’re an angel,” Izo says rolling his eyes and wrapping his scarf around his neck. “Alright handsome, into the coat.”

 

Thatch wiggles, his head peeking out from between layers of the scarf, nose wrinkling in annoyance as Ace shakes his head and grabs a different umbrella from the one that Izo had been using.

 

“I hate your magic umbrella,” Izo mutters as he leads the way back outside to the street and plasters himself to Ace’s side the moment that it’s open. “You don’t even have to worry about it getting a hole because it still works perfectly. I would know, I poked a hole in it and it still works.”

 

“It’s not magic. I picked it up for a dollar at the thrift store by where I grew up.”

 

Thatch isn’t sure that means anything. Ace is talented at finding things, he can walk into a crowded room and still find the one person all but bathed in magic without even trying. He’s drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Or, Thatch always wants to laugh, a Phoenix to fire.

 

“And it’s amazing.”

 

“Yeah, it is,” Ace agrees as they weave through the crowds, his hand on Izo’s elbow, helping him when he starts to shake. He stops them short outside the store. “Security is here. I’ll go in and take pictures of what they have and send them to you, I can see Teach from here.”

 

Thatch growls at the mention of his former brother, oathbreaker.

 

“That’s Marco’s reaction to him too,” Ace grins running a finger along his muzzle. “Behave here for Izo so we can get you some food. Card.”

 

Izo sighs, digging his debit card out of his pocket and slapping it into Ace’s hand, “I’m keeping the umbrella.”

 

“Go ahead, we can’t afford for you to get sick with the gallery event coming up,” Ace waves keeping his down as he slips into the store and ducks behind and through groups like he’s use to going about unnoticed.

 

Thatch doesn’t know much about Ace beyond what he’s seen when his brother brings him to family events, but he does know what Marco has told him. Including that if they need something stolen, that Ace will do it without question and without being caught. Which Thatch has seen in action more than once.

 

“Alright handsome,” Izo says as his phone starts to ping. “Which one do we want? For health reasons, I’m already vetoing these,” He points to several bags. “But anything else is fine. Look we even have wet food as an option.”

 

Dog food tastes like shit, Thatch knows that from the dare that he accepted from Haruta back when he was in middle school and he refuses to ever eat another bite. He presses his nose to the portion of the picture with wet food on it.

 

“Oh, we’re a high class pup,” Izo laughs already sending a message to Ace to get them a better picture of it. “Here we go.”

 

It takes far too long to get a food that Thatch thinks that he can swallow and not regret his choices more than he already does, because Thatch needs to be able to eat until he can figure out how to turn back into himself. Which is going to be an interesting conversation, because he can’t up and disappear from their lives like that.

 

“Alright,” Ace says stepping out of the store with several bags hanging from his arms. “Unless the puppy eats the way that I do, we should be good until at least the end of next week if not later.”

 

Izo grins, offering him back the umbrella, “That’s good, I was wondering how much you were going to buy.”

 

“I’m not going to come to the store every day to pick up food for the puppy. What are we going to call it?”

 

“Handsome,” Izo answers patting Thatch’s head. “He’s probably got a home and a name waiting for him and I don’t want to mess that up. At least not until I can get him to the vet to check for microchips.”

 

“It’s better that calling him the puppy. He’s a pretty cool color for a golden retriever, never see one quite that shade before.”

 

Thatch yips, his hair is the same color as his fur now, but he’s fairly certain that Ace means on a dog and not on a person. It’s disconcerting to hear them talk about him and to not be unable to talk back, at least when he had been cursed mute, all of his siblings had been willing to sign with him so that they could hold conversations with him.

 

“How is Marco?” Izo asks as they stop at a crossroad. 

 

“More worried,” Ace answers looking at his phone more than he’s looking at anything else. “They found his car, his phone was in the cupholder. Just down the road from the house of the woman they’re investigating. It looks like he’s been gone for a while.”

 

“Do they need you help?”

 

Ace shakes his head, “I’m not much at finding things.” Thatch will laugh himself sick when he’s human again, because Ace is amazing at finding things and Thatch can’t believe the liar. “And they’re working with the police on this one, so they’re already involved with the case.”

 

“I hope that he’s alright, I know that you’ve said that their family is close,” Izo pauses. “Which one is Thatch?”

 

“The one that I’ve been begging you to go on a date with for the last six months. I know that I’ve shown you pictures of him. The pompadour.”

 

Thatch stops wiggling in Izo’s coat, because he does remember Ace mentioning that he wanted to set Thatch up with his roommate, he had always said no. He had talked about how his roommate loved animals and was an artist, he’s regretting it now. Izo is gorgeous and obviously an animal lover if he’s willing to pick up a puppy off the side of the road.

 

“I don’t need you to set me up on dates.”

 

“You haven’t been on a date, a real date, since before we moved in together. Your break up with your last boyfriend was the reason we ended up moving in together. That was four years ago.”

 

Izo shakes like he’s terrified, “And I’m doing perfectly fine. I have too much to do right now, all the work that I have to do is taking all my time.”

 

“Fine. It’s not like it would matter now anyway,” Ace frowns. “I hope that Thatch is okay. He’s really nice, even if he can be an asshole.”

 

Ouch, Thatch grumbles.

 

“Hungry there, handsome?” Izo laughs mistaking the sound for his stomach. “Don’t worry when we get back we’ll get you food and some water.”

 

“As long as it’s not paint water.”

 

“I told you,” Izo frowns as Ace shakes off the umbrella. “The cat like the paint water. It kept sticking it’s head into the paint water. It wasn’t my fault.”

 

Ace laughs as leads the way back to the apartment and unlocks the door, “You hate cats.”

 

“He’s lying,” Izo whispers to Thatch. “Don’t listen to him handsome. I love all animals.”

 

“Except spiders.”

 

“They come into my bedroom. They slip into my showers. They deserve to die. Handsome here agrees with me.”

 

“Of course he does. Don’t get too attached, Izo, he might have a home,” Ace states grabbing two bowls to put the food and water in.

 

“He might not.”

 

“Can we afford a dog? Can you afford a dog?”

 

Izo shrugs elegantly, setting Thatch on the ground as he unwinds his scarf and hang it and his coat back up, “Who knows, but I like him.”

 

“That doesn’t mean much.”

 

“If I can’t afford him, if we can’t afford him, we can find him a loving family with a yard and people to play with him, deal?”

 

“Deal,” Ace agrees setting both bowls on the ground. “Alright handsome, one is food and the other is water, what do you think?”

 

Thatch loathes the food, it’s better than dry dog food but he’s fairly sure that just about anything can taste better than dry dog food. He can stomach it and that’s all he needs for the time being until he can get back to his human form and get himself home. He’s sure that Marco can help him come up with a story to tell them afterwards.

 

“Well he’s eating. He doesn’t seem to like it much however.”

 

“Dog food tastes like shit,” Ace says out loud and Thatch is grateful to hear him say those words from someone. “Luffy use to get into it when he was a baby, he liked the way it looked and the babysitter Gramps hired spent hours trying to drag him out of it.”

 

“Every time I hear a story about your family, I get that much more concerned about your upbringing. Never introduce me to your gramps?”

 

“No worries, he’s in the marines. He won’t be stateside for another six months and our lease will be up by then.”

 

“Good, he can be Marco’s problem,” Izo sniffs. “All done handsome? Come on, we’ve got a little grassy area out back that we should probably take you out to.”

 

Izo is kind enough to keep only half an eye on Thatch while he tries to find somewhere private to use the bathroom. There isn’t really anywhere to hide from them to go to the bathroom like he would like to.

 

“We’re going to have to pick up a scoop thing,” Ace says softly from the kitchen, already cooking something that smells amazing. “If we keep him.”

 

“If we keep him,” Izo repeats back to him.

 

“Keep an eye on him, you don’t want him to accidently run out into traffic.”

 

“I’ll have you know that you have offended,” Izo lifts Thatch up. “Both of us.”

 

“I feel no guilt. I am a heartless being that devours puppies for dinner,” Ace deadpans. “And stop mangling quotes.”

 

“Can’t, it’s too much fun. Are you headed to work?”

 

Ace sighs, “Twelve hour shifts are the bane of my existance and I would literally murder a man to get out of them.”

 

“Again.” 

 

“We don’t talk about that Izo.”

 

Thatch isn’t sure that he has ever seen this side of Marco’s cute civilian boyfriend before. Ace is usually happy and smiling and this, this isn’t the Ace that Thatch expected. Maybe he should have paid more attention to Ace before now. This Ace is far more interesting.

 

“Oh right, sorry. I’ll take handsome to my room and then call the vet clinic in the morning to try and get in to see if he’s got a chip. I’ll call you to talk about it afterwards?”

 

“Keep me up to date, I want to know how the little hairball is doing.”

 

Izo gasps dramatically, “How dare you! I trusted you,” He lifts Thatch up to look Ace in the eye. “We trusted you!”

 

Ace stares back, “Boo. I’m headed to work. Don’t forget to lock the door. Will you be alright?”

 

“I will.”

 

Izo waits until the door is closed to flip the lock and shake like he’s going to shake apart, “There we’re fine now. How about we go to sleep? I have to get up early and that means that you do as well. Hopefully we can get you to the vet about lunch time.”

  
  


* * *

 

Izo’s studio is larger than Thatch was expecting. Based on the size of their apartment, Thatch had been expecting a little hole in the wall but it’s large. Large enough to hold several canvases bigger than Izo and spread around the room.

 

“And this is my studio,” Izo says setting Thatch onto the ground and grabbing a bowl to pour more water into it. “We’re going to make sure that I take you out fairly often. How does every hour sound?” He asks pulling out his phone to set a timer. “This way I make sure that you can get out enough.”

 

“You’re talk to yourself?”

 

Thatch scrambles to hide behind Izo’s legs, catching sight of the woman who spoke, her hair pulled back and her eyes laughing.

 

“Morning Vivi, you’re here earlier than usual.”

 

Vivi laughs, “I wanted to check up on you, one of the other artists said that they heard glass breaking in your studio yesterday?”

 

“I broke one of my cups,” Izo says sheepishly. “I grabbed the paint water and dropped it in disgust, you know how it is.”

 

“I do. And who is this?”

 

Thatch barks, his tail wagging without his permission. That was just rude, but Thatch just couldn’t make it stop. He should be able to control himself.

 

“Handsome, meet Vivi, she owns the building and the gallery that I’m going to be showing in soon. Vivi this is handsome, I found him yesterday and we’re headed to the vet’s later to see if he’s got somewhere to call his home.”

 

“Well he is certainly gorgeous,” Vivi agrees scratching under Thatch’s chin until he falls forward onto the ground, his bones seeming to fall out from his limbs. “Oh, you fell.”

 

Izo laughs and Thatch’s heart flips, “You like chin scratches then.”

 

Thatch stumbles to his feet, fighting to regain what little dignity he had, hiding himself behind Izo when Vivi tried to pet him again.

 

“I think he’s mad,” She sighs as she stands, brushing off her skirt. “He’s a cutie. If you need anything I’ll be downstairs, alright?”

 

“I know, thank you for checking up on me, Vivi,” Izo returns waving as she closes the door. “Vivi is a good person. Even if she scratches under our chins and we fall on our faces.”

 

Thatch whines, sad and pathetic, just like the puppies that he sees in the holiday commercials that always make Pops cry and beg Marco to adopt them.

 

“Oh no, that face won’t work on me.”

 

Thatch whines again.

 

“Fine, come on then. I have a blanket over here that you can use to curl up on and try to salvage the dignity that you don’t have.”

 

* * *

  
  
  


There’s no chip, Thatch knows there wasn’t going to be one, but Izo look like someone took Thatch from his arms and killed him. He had been expecting Thatch to have a home and a family and Thatch does, just not in the way that Izo is expecting him to. Izo holds Thatch closer as they weave through the crowds, pulling his phone from his pocket.

 

“Wha?” Ace groans from the other side of the line. “Too early.”

 

“There’s no chip.”

 

Ace is silent for a long moment, “Is anyone looking for a puppy like him?”

 

“Not according to the vet, she says she’ll keep us posted but she doubts that it will happen.”

 

“Damn it.”

 

Izo snorts, “So what can we do?”

 

“We can’t keep him long term,” Ace yawns cutting himself of. “Long term, I don’t think that it’ll work out, even if we worked as hard as we could at it.”

 

“I know. So we keep him until we find him a family?”

 

“That’s the only real option that we have. It’s not like we can just keep him. He’s going to get bigger and that’s just not fair to him. This apartment is barely big enough for us.”

 

“Alright,” Izo sighs stroking Thatch’s fur. “I know you don’t like to ask him for things, but can you see if Marco’s family might be willing to help us? I know that they have to be busy with Thatch disappearing, but I do want handsome to have a home and not go to a shelter if we can help it.”

 

Ace hums softly, “I’ll see what he has to say, I’ll call him when we’re done here. I know you wanted a puppy Izo, I’m sorry we can’t keep him.”

 

“It’s not your fault. Can’t exactly have a dog in an apartment like ours. Why do we even still live in that place?”

 

“Rent’s cheap and we hate packing.”

 

Izo laughs, “That’s true. Thank’s Ace,” Izo hangs up and slides his phone back into his pocket with a shiver.

 

Thatch has noticed that Izo always seems cold. He’s always shivering and shaking, always wearing more clothes and coats. Thatch had thought it was because he didn’t like to be touched, but Izo touched people. There had to be something that he was missing.

 

He feels like he’s missing a lot of things about Izo and Ace, nothing about them makes any sense. Like the job that Ace is constantly going to and from, what is it? How does Izo support himself other than his art? Does he sell well enough to not worry about that? Thatch wants to know everything about Izo.

 

“You look like someone kicked the puppy,” Vivi says looking at Izo. “No chip?”

 

“None and no one looking for a puppy like handsome here. Ace is talking to his boyfriend about getting his family’s help to find him a home, but one of his brother’s has gone missing.”

 

“Oh no,” She gasps. “What happened?”

 

Izo shrugs, cradling Thatch closer, “Who knows, even his family isn’t too sure what happened and he works with his brothers at the family company.”

 

“Well, I hope that they find him, it’s always sad to lose someone,” Vivi says looking like she’s lost in a memory for a long moment. “When you talk to Ace next, can you have him check with Luffy to see when they’ll be home next? Nami doesn’t know and she can’t get a straight answer from him.”

 

“I will,” Izo says grinning.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Izo nods heading back up to his studio and laying Thatch down on the blanket before moving back to his canvas and Thatch watches him curiously. It’s interesting to watch him paint and curse and mix, streaking into his hair as he dabs at things with his fingers and brushes the flyaway strands away from his eyes. It just looks like swirls of colors and random shapes but Izo grumbles about faces and eyebrows staying where they’re suppose to be, so Thatch assumes there’s more going on than he can see.

 

He falls asleep at some point, warm and listening to Izo, who reminds him of Marco when he was younger, grumbling and talking as they worked. He wakes up to silence, the room far darker than it was before and Izo standing still, his hands on his hips and his mouth twisted into a frown.

 

“I’m not sure that I like it, but it’s a commission and the buyer loves it, so I suppose,” He sighs before glancing at his phone. “Ugh, it’s so late, I just want to go home and sleep.”

 

Thatch barks, catching his attention.

 

“Handsome, you slept for ages and ages!” Izo coos lifting him from the blanket and kissing his muzzle. “I thought you were going to sleep all night too. What do you think? Does it look alright to you?” Thatch barks. “I’m glad you like it then.”

 

Thatch hangs over the back of Izo’s shoulders as they walk home, his front paws resting on them as he watches anyone that comes up behind them.

 

“You’re such a weird puppy,” Izo yawns, one of his hands going to cover his mouth. “I’m exhausted and Ace is going to be sad, it’s my turn to cook binner.”

 

That’s a term that Thatch has heard Ace use many times, something about breakfast and dinner. It makes more sense now, knowing that Ace and Izo work on different schedules and only really see each other at the first and last meals of the day.

 

“We’re gonna eat and sleep and then not move from my bed at all tomorrow because I finished my commissions and I’ve got nothing to start for a few more days.”

 

Thatch barks, not at the comment, but at the man that’s been following them and has been for the last four blocks. A man that he recognizes.

 

“Izo.”

 

Izo doesn’t stop moving, in fact, he seems to be moving faster and Thatch’s nails dig into Izo’s swearter so that he doesn’t fall.

 

“Izo!”

 

They duck into an alleyway when they pull ahead and round a corner, hiding being a dumpster as the man moves past them without even stopping to check for them. Izo slumps against the wall, hands shaking and his breathing ragged.

 

“That was my ex,” Izo whispers like he needs to explain himself to Thatch. “From before I moved in with Ace. He was very … controlling, said we were suppose to be together. Usually right before he landed himself into trouble.”

 

Thatch doesn’t like this man. He hasn’t since the first time that he heard rumors about him and now he wants to bite him.

 

“It got worse after he went to visit some fortune teller, that’s what she markets herself as,” Izo snorts. “Kept talking about his ‘fated lover’ and I guess he’s got it in his head that it’s me.”

 

That is someone that Thatch knows well, she’s the one that turned him into a puppy while saying the exact same words. It hadn’t found him his ‘one true love’ like she claimed, it just found him Izo. And Ace, but Ace doesn’t really count.

 

“He keeps showing up places trying to talk to me, it’s why I changed studios. Vivi is a really good friend of Ace’s youngest brother and she rents it to me for a price so low that it’s almost criminal, she’s very kind and I’m grateful. The security for the showroom and the studio are beyond words.”

 

Thatch whines softly, nuzzling Izo’s cheek like he’s seen Stefan do to Marco, try to comfort him.

  
“Thanks handsome. It’s good to feel safe, that’s half the reason that I live with Ace. No one touches Ace, there are people who only know him by name are are scared to death of him.”

 

“You make me sound like a drug dealer,” Ace yawns startling Thatch. “I got your text.”

 

“Thank you for coming,” Izo says accepting the hand that Ace offers him. “Sorry for waking you up so early when you have to be tired.”

 

“That asshole showed up, I’m hoping he stuck around so I can break his face in.”

 

Izo snorts, “We can’t afford bail.”

 

“It’s fine, I’ll have Sabo bail me out.”

 

“Or Marco?”

 

Ace tips his head to the side, eyes searching for something that Thatch thinks might be Izo’s ex, “Marco is still looking for Thatch. From what I understand, they found his blood in the house of the woman that they were looking into and she’s denying she did anything wrong. Something about helping him find his destiny.”

 

“You’re serious?” 

 

“As a heart attack.”

 

Thatch dozes as they walk the last three blocks to the apartment, barely paying attention to their conversation. There’s no one at the door when they arrive or near the door to the apartment, but Ace still sweeps the place before letting Izo in.

 

“I made binner, in case you’re hungry,” Ace yawns. “If not, I’ll take it to work for lunch.”

 

“Do you ever really get to eat lunch?”

 

“I’m a surgical nurse, does it look like I get to eat much in the way of lunch?”

 

So that’s what Ace did for a living, Marco had alway been vague about that and how they had met, but his job explained both of those things. Marco spent a great deal of time at the hospital with Pops, running around between specialists for his heart condition.

 

“Lock the door and keep the police on speed dial,” Ace shouts when he leaves, Izo hiding in his room as they watched one of those competitive shows about designers. “And remember to let handsome out!”

 

“I will! You think he would trust me, huh,” Izo asks rubbing Thatch’s belly. “You would think that he knows that I’m trustworthy.”

 

Izo locks the door when he takes Thatch outside, double checking the deadbolt before they went back to his room and collapsed onto the bed. Thatch wonders what Izo’s ex did to scare him so badly.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Thatch has been a puppy for a month. An entire month and he’s still no closer to turning himself back to normal. The witch has been arrested, evidence piling up against her not that they can get into her home to look at what she has. Not to mention Izo’s ex has been scaring him so badly that he keeps changing up their route to and from the studio to try and throw him off.

 

The only good thing that has happened is that Marco, tired and worried according Ace, but he is come to look at Thatch and help them find him a home, even if his heart wasn’t really in it.

 

“You look tired,” Izo says when Marco finally arrives, Thatch sprawled across his chest.

 

“I am,” Marco sighs, dropping into the seat closest to the door. “We haven’t had any leads and the police are starting to think that Thatch is-” Marco stops, staring at Thatch like he’s never seen a puppy before. “This is the puppy?”

 

“Handsome this is Marco. Marco this is the puppy that we’ve been telling you about,” Izo says introducing them. “He doesn’t have a name, so I’ve just been calling him handsome.”

 

Marco nods slowly, Thatch is fairly certain that his brother recognizes him, “He’s tiny.”

 

“The vet says that he was probably too young to be taken from his mother, but that it would be alright as long as we took care of him and made sure that he stayed warm.”

 

“That’s good,” Marco says slowly. “May I?”

 

“Go on handsome, Marco’s nice.”

 

Thatch wags his tail happily at Marco holds him, he still wasn’t going to lick anyone. He still didn’t know where these people had been and Thatch hated licking.

 

“Thatch?” Marco whispers almost too quietly.

 

Thatch barks, tail wagging.

 

“I’m going to murder you.”

 

Ace drops onto the arm of the chair before Marco can say anything else, “Think you can find him a home, pretty bird?”

 

“I’m sure I can. A home close by, not so much,” Marco says and Thatch already knows the plan. “Stefan doesn’t like other animals and my siblings all live at home. I do have a friend, her name’s Bay, she’s got a farm and she would love him.”

 

“The one in Canada?” Ace says almost sad. “There’s no one closer? Izo really loves him and I know we can’t keep him, but Izo love him. I was hoping we would be able to visit at least.”

 

“She was the only one who agreed. I can call around later and check again, but…”

 

Izo sighs, resigned to the fact that Thatch is going to leave and he feels guilty, “Can he stay? For tonight I mean. If Bay has a place for him that he would like, I want Handsome to be happy more than anything. Just, can I have one more night to say good bye?”

 

“Of course,” Marco agrees almost too quickly. “That’s fine, I understand, Izo. I still need to talk to Bay and see how we’re going to get him to her.”

 

Izo smiles sadly, taking Thatch back and cuddling him, “Alright.”

 

“I thought you had work tonight,” Marco asks turning to Ace and leaving Thatch to cuddle with Izo.

 

He tunes them out quickly. It’s weird thinking that he’s going home soon, going back to his human body after a month, because Thatch likes Izo. He likes hearing him talk and spending time together and the only thing he’s regretting about any of it is that he’s Izo’s dog.

 

Thatch wonders how he’s suppose to pretend that he doesn't know Izo after this, when he’s spent so much time with him. He’s still thinking it when he’s curled up on the pillow on Izo’s bed, so distracted that he doesn’t notice the door opening until someone stepped in.

 

It’s Izo’s ex, the one that he’s so scared of. Thatch growls as he moves closer.

 

“Handsome?” Izo mutter trying to turn to look at him. “W-”

 

“Izo.”

 

Izo stops like he’s been turned to stone, his face going pale in the dark. Thatch scoots closer, keeping Izo’s ex in his sights.

 

“Izo, I”m talking to you.”

 

“I have a restraining order,” Izo counters. He doesn’t sound confident or snappy, but it’s more words than Thatch expected. “You need to leave.”

 

“I have it here with me,” He says as if Izo hasn’t spoken, holding something gray and soft looking in his grasp, stroking it. “I’ll even let you touch it.”

 

Izo shakes and Thatch can’t tell if it’s in rage or cold, but he shakes and forces himself to sit up and stare at him, “Why are you here?”

 

“I love you, Izo and you love me.”

 

“I don’t love you.”

 

“You love me!”

 

Thatch barks, growling as the man moves closer, his face dark and enraged.

 

“Is that a rat?”

 

“He’s a puppy, let me touch it.”

 

The man shakes his head, “You have to come to me, not the other way around.”

 

“You stole it,” Izo hisses. “You stole it from me and it is mine!”

 

“You will not raise your voice at me!” Thatch bites the hand that moves to slap Izo, biting down and refusing to let go when the man shouts and tries to throw him off, dropping whatever it is that he’s keeping from Izo. Thatch slams into the wall at the same moment that Ace slams the man into the far wall, Izo cradling the thing in his arms like he can’t believe it’s real.

 

“You just can’t stay out of trouble,” Marco whispers as the police arrive, called by a neighbor who noticed the noise. “I bet you didn’t even think about what he was going to do to you.”

 

Thatch wags his tail even though it hurts. The thing, it looked like fur, had been shoved away before the police had arrived and stayed hidden until they cleared out. Izo dragging it back out and holding it like it’s the most precious thing in the world.

 

“What is that?” Marco asks finally.

 

“It’s his skin,” Ace answers handing Izo a brush. “Izo’s skin, I mean. His ex stole it years ago and he wasn’t able to leave for the longest time.”

 

“As in selkies?”

 

Izo flushes, “Yes. I came ashore because I thought humans were interesting and I like it here. I use to, before it was stolen, go to the beach on the weekends and that was enough. I could stay and didn’t have to worry about being lured away to the sea.”

 

“You don’t seem very shocked,” Ace says slowly. “Do you have something to say, Marco?”

 

“Phoenix, I”m a Phoenix,” He bounces Thatch slightly in his arms. “This is Thatch. From what I can tell is that he was turned into a dog.”

 

“So that’s what you are,” Izo says smiling. “I knew you couldn’t just a person. It’s nice to meet you both,” He wraps his fur around his shoulders and Thatch thinks that he finally looks like he’s warm

 

* * *

  
  


Thatch fidgets with his tie, frowning when it keep slipping and sliding, “I hate this!”

 

“Now handsome,” Izo says sliding past him looking like he was on his way to a party. “You know that you promised to be my date to the showroom opening.”

 

“I changed my mind.”

 

Izo tugs him close by his tie, “I’ll make it up to you later. There, your tie is perfect now, hurry up handsome. We have places to be.”

 

Thatch kisses him, “You’re amazing and no one would be less than amazed by you. You’re going knock them all out.”

 

“Thanks handsome, what would I do without you?”


End file.
